You can beat autoimmune disease

Autoimmune disease tends to be viewed as a life sentence without a cure. However, as many have proved, you can recover and go on to thrive. In this comprehensive report we examine the causes of autoimmune disease and how it can be overcome.

- LINDA MOON

Author of Beat Autoimmune, A speaker and functional medicine health coach Palmer Kippola was a fun-loving, hardworking college student when she was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis). "One morning I woke up and the soles of my feet had that pins and needles feeling," Kippola recalls. Over the course of the morning, the tingling had crept up to her knees. By the time she saw the neurologist, it had reached her collarbone.

At the time, 1984, little was known about MS. Kippola was told there was nothing she could do beyond medication and see what happened. "We left her office absolutely terrified," she says. "We had no idea what this MS thing was. We hadn't heard of autoimmune disease." For the next six weeks her whole body was so numb she couldn't feel a pinch. Faced with an uncertain future, the 19-year-old wondered if she'd spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

Fortunately, Kippola had a relapsing, remitting form of MS, which meant she was able to resume some semblance of a normal life. What followed was a 20-year course of MS. Over that time, Kippola saw six different neurologists who all said the same thing: there was nothing she could do except take medication.

A friend challenged her to reflect on what might have caused her condition. Despite having two loving parents, Kippola began to realize her childhood had been one of chronic stress, insomnia, and a hyper-vigilant immune system. Thus began a journey of healing and self-discovery, beginning with yoga and then meditation. The more Kippola relaxed, the more her symptoms subsided. Any stress would cause serious symptoms to flare up.